I wasn’t lying. I made a request and a little donation. I asked for a steam punk gnome who just had something blow up in his face. This is the preview image she sent me. Some minor changes might be made then I get some free art! WOO!

Artist Taryn Simon’s latest book is that rare aesthetic object that manages to gratify on both visceral and cerebral levels. Part photo collection, part curio cabinet, An American Index of the Hidden and Unfamiliar (Steidl) is a study of spaces typically off-limits to the public—secret government facilities, science laboratories, private clubhouses—illuminated by contextual passages that often drastically alter your initial impressions. Over the course of four years, Simon cajoled her way into dozens of obscure restricted sites, five of which are excerpted below, including the seized contraband room at Kennedy airport, a nuclear waste storage facility, and the only building in the United States federally licensed to grow marijuana. And don’t miss the mutant tiger cage.